Terahertz waveform synthesis in integrated thin-film lithium niobate platform
Abstract
Bridging the “terahertz gap“ relies upon synthesizing arbitrary waveforms in the terahertz domain enabling applications that require both narrow band sources for sensing and few-cycle drives for classical and quantum objects. However, realization of custom-tailored waveforms needed for these applications is currently hindered due to limited flexibility for optical rectification of femtosecond pulses in bulk crystals. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that thin-film lithium niobate circuits provide a versatile solution for such waveform synthesis by combining the merits of complex integrated architectures, low-loss distribution of pump pulses on-chip, and an efficient optical rectification. Our distributed pulse phase-matching scheme grants shaping the temporal, spectral, phase, amplitude, and farfield characteristics of the emitted terahertz field through designer on-chip components. This strictly circumvents prior limitations caused by the phase-delay mismatch in conventional systems and relaxes the requirement for cumbersome spectral pre-engineering of the pumping light. We propose a toolbox of basic blocks that produce broadband emission up to 680 GHz and far-field amplitudes of a few V m−1 with adaptable phase and coherence properties by using near-infrared pump pulse energies below 100 pJ.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Jan 04, 2023
- Source ID
- 10.1038/s41467-022-35517-6
Entities
People
- Alexa Herter
- Amirhassan Shams-Ansari
- Francesca Fabiana Settembrini
- Hana K. Warner
- Ileana-Cristina Benea-Chelmus
- Jérôme Faist
- Marko Loncar
Organizations
- Hans Eggenberger Stiftung
- National Center of Competence in Research Quantum Science and Technology
- Swiss National Science Foundation
- United States Department of Defense